Proforma Invoice Template
A proforma invoice is the seller's priced offer in invoice form, sent before goods ship: quantity × unit price per line, less discount, plus freight and insurance. The filled sample below totals $5,150.00 for 1,400 units, CIF Port of Long Beach, CA.
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Edit the sample proforma invoice
Every field feeds the document. Replace the sample with your own seller, buyer, goods and terms.
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How to Write a Proforma Invoice in 7 Steps
- Title it "Proforma Invoice". Put the words at the top, plus a unique number, issue date and a valid-until date.
- Name the parties. Seller or exporter, buyer or importer, and the consignee if goods go to a different address.
- Describe each product plainly. Material, type and use, with SKU, HS code and country of origin for cross-border goods.
- Price every line. Quantity × unit price, in one stated currency. Keep sub-cent unit prices as they are.
- Add the charges. Discount off the goods subtotal, then freight, insurance and any estimated tax or duty.
- State the trade terms. Incoterm plus a named place, payment terms, transport mode, ports and ship date.
- Sign and send. Add the signatory and title, print or save as PDF, and ask the buyer to confirm in writing.
The formula: proforma total = Σ(quantity × unit price) − discount + estimated tax or duty + freight + insurance. Tax, if any, applies after the discount and before freight in this template.
The Proforma Invoice Format, Part by Part
These 8 blocks cover what a buyer, a bank or a broker usually looks for. The template above has a field for each.
| Part | Fields | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Header | Title "Proforma Invoice", number, issue date, valid-until date, buyer PO or RFQ | Marks the document as preliminary and gives every revision a traceable ID. |
| Parties | Seller, buyer, consignee: legal name, address, contact, tax or registration ID | Banks, brokers and the buyer's finance team match these to their records. |
| Trade terms | Incoterm and named place, payment terms, currency | Decides who pays freight and insurance and when money moves. |
| Shipment | Mode, ports of loading and discharge, ship date, final destination, purpose | Lets the buyer plan receiving and lets a broker prepare early. |
| Goods lines | SKU, description, HS code, origin, quantity, unit, unit price, amount | The core of the offer. Vague descriptions cause questions later. |
| Packages | Package count, net weight, gross weight, carton marks | Needed for freight quotes and for the packing list that follows. |
| Totals | Goods subtotal, discount, estimated tax or duty, freight, insurance, total | Shows exactly how the headline figure is built. |
| Sign-off | Notes, declaration text if requested, signatory, title, date | Shows who is authorized to make the offer. |
Worked Example: Apparel From Ningbo to Columbus, Ohio
Northstar Commerce LLC in Columbus, OH buys three apparel lines from a Ningbo exporter. Goods ship CIF Port of Long Beach, CA to a receiving warehouse in Ontario, CA. This is the sample that loads in the template.
| SKU | HS code (example) | Qty | Unit price | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TEE-BLK-MCotton crew neck t-shirt, knitted, black, size M | 6109.10 | 600 | $4.25 | $2,550.00 |
| CAP-NAVY-OSCotton twill baseball cap, navy, adjustable | 6505.00 | 300 | $3.80 | $1,140.00 |
| TOTE-CANVASCotton canvas tote bag with printed logo | 4202.92 | 500 | $2.15 | $1,075.00 |
| Goods subtotal | $4,765.00 | |||
| Discount (fixed, example) | −$100.00 | |||
| Estimated tax / duty (left at 0; the broker estimates duty) | $0.00 | |||
| Ocean freight to Long Beach (example) | $420.00 | |||
| Cargo insurance (example) | $65.00 | |||
| Proforma total | $5,150.00 | |||
Freight and insurance appear because the seller pays them under CIF. On an FCA or FOB proforma, the buyer usually books main freight, so those lines stay at zero. The Advance payment, air sample shows that case: $4,870.00 with no freight line.
Enter an example tax rate of 5% and it applies to $4,665.00, the subtotal less discount. That adds $233.25, for a total of $5,383.25.
Quotation vs Proforma vs Commercial vs Tax Invoice
The proforma sits between the quote and the final invoice: firmer than the first, earlier than the second.
| Quotation | Proforma invoice | Commercial invoice | Tax invoice | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| When | Early, while the buyer is still deciding | After terms are agreed, before shipment | At or after shipment, once the sale is final | When a taxable sale is made, under local tax rules |
| Layout | Any: email, PDF, price list | Invoice layout with parties, lines, terms | Invoice layout matching goods shipped | Set by the tax authority where the sale is taxed |
| Asks for payment? | No | Supports an advance or deposit; the agreed terms create the obligation | Yes, usually | Yes |
| Used for customs clearance? | No | Sometimes, for planning or permits; the customs authority decides | Commonly | Not its purpose |
| Values | Indicative | Agreed estimates, with a validity date | Final, as shipped | Final, with tax shown |
| Can change? | Freely | Yes, by issuing a revision | Only by a formal correction | Only by a credit or debit note |
When a quotation becomes a proforma
Once the buyer says yes to price and terms, reissue the offer as a proforma with a number, validity date, Incoterm and payment terms. The Quotation proforma sample shows a domestic wholesale version totalling $5,175.00.
When the proforma becomes a commercial invoice
When goods ship, issue a commercial invoice for what actually shipped, and cite the proforma number. Do not re-send the proforma as the final invoice.
When to Send a Proforma Invoice
The buyer's finance team needs a formal priced document before releasing a deposit or a full prepayment.
Banks often ask for a proforma when a buyer applies for a letter of credit. The bank sets its own document list.
Some importers need goods, values and origin in writing before a license or permit application. Their authority decides what it accepts.
A purchasing manager can approve a proforma the way they would approve an invoice, line by line.
For a simple domestic job paid on delivery, a quotation is often enough. If the buyer approves with a purchase order first, reference its number on the proforma.
Proforma Invoices for Customs and International Shipping
A proforma helps the importer and broker prepare before goods arrive. Whether it is accepted for any formal purpose is not the seller's call.
Destination customs authority
Which documents clear goods, and whether a proforma is accepted in place of a commercial invoice for any shipment type.
The buyer's bank
What a letter of credit or payment requires, down to the exact wording and number of copies.
Customs broker
The HS classification, duty estimate and entry documents for the import.
Carrier or forwarder
Which invoice must travel with the freight, and in what format.
- Describe goods so a stranger could classify them: material, type and use.
- Put an HS code and country of origin on each line, and have the broker confirm them.
- Pair the Incoterm with a named place, such as a port or airport.
- Show package count, net weight and gross weight on the face of the document.
- Keep one currency throughout, and state it.
- Carry the same values into the packing list and the final invoice.
No guarantee. This template does not make a document compliant with any customs, bank or legal rule. The authority, bank or broker involved sets the requirement; check with them before you ship.
6 Proforma Invoice Mistakes to Avoid
Calling it a tax invoice
A proforma is preliminary. Label it "Proforma Invoice" and issue the tax or commercial invoice later.
No validity date
Freight, exchange rates and stock move. A valid-until date tells the buyer when to ask for a revision.
Incoterm without a place
"CIF" alone is incomplete. Write "CIF Port of Long Beach, CA" so cost and risk transfer at a clear point.
Vague descriptions
"Apparel" or "samples" invites questions. Say what it is, what it is made of and what it is for.
Rounding unit prices early
10,000 × $0.0425 is $425.00. Round the price to 0.04 first and it becomes $400.00.
Copying it as the final invoice
If quantities, prices or freight change, the commercial invoice must show what actually shipped.
Numbering and Revising a Proforma Invoice
Keep proforma numbers separate from final invoice numbers, and never reuse one. A revision suffix shows which version the buyer approved.
| Number (example) | Used for |
|---|---|
PI-2026-0048 | First proforma sent to the buyer |
PI-2026-0048-R1 | Revision after a price or quantity change |
CI-2026-0112 | Commercial invoice for the final shipment, citing PI-2026-0048-R1 |
Proforma Invoice Template in Word, Excel or PDF?
Most templates online are static files. Each format has a trade-off.
Word (.docx)
Easy to edit, but tables wrap across pages and totals are typed by hand, so they drift.
Excel (.xlsx)
Formulas do the math, but they break when rows are copied and print areas shift.
Fillable PDF
Looks fixed and tidy, but adding a line or field is hard without the source file.
This browser template
Math is built in, the preview is exactly what prints, and Save as PDF gives you the file.
To get a file, press Print / Save as PDF and choose "Save as PDF" as the printer. Line amounts round once per line, so 10,000 labels at $0.0425 bill $425.00, not $400.00.
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